Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by was 1,782 Thousand persons in 2026. ▼ Falling

Latest (2026)
1,782 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
20th
of 45 countries
All-time high
3,069 Thousand persons
in 2000
All-time low
1,774 Thousand persons
in 2025
Years of data
27
2000–2026

Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria, 2000–2026

01.0k2.0k3.0k2000201320262000: 3.1k Thousand persons2001: 2.9k Thousand persons2002: 2.9k Thousand persons2003: 2.9k Thousand persons2004: 2.8k Thousand persons2005: 2.8k Thousand persons2006: 2.6k Thousand persons2007: 2.5k Thousand persons2008: 2.4k Thousand persons2009: 2.5k Thousand persons2010: 2.4k Thousand persons2011: 2.4k Thousand persons2012: 2.3k Thousand persons2013: 2.2k Thousand persons2014: 2.2k Thousand persons2015: 2.2k Thousand persons2016: 2.3k Thousand persons2017: 2.1k Thousand persons2018: 2.1k Thousand persons2019: 1.9k Thousand persons2020: 1.9k Thousand persons2021: 1.9k Thousand persons2022: 1.8k Thousand persons2023: 1.8k Thousand persons2024: 1.8k Thousand persons2025: 1.8k Thousand persons2026: 1.8k Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria is 1,782 Thousand persons, measured in 2026.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 20.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria peaked at 3,069 Thousand persons in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1,774 Thousand persons, in 2025.

That places Bulgaria 20th out of 45 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.

Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work - quarterly data in Bulgaria, 2000 to 2026.
Year Thousand persons Change
2000 3,069 Thousand persons
2001 2,926 Thousand persons -4.7%
2002 2,893 Thousand persons -1.1%
2003 2,889 Thousand persons -0.1%
2004 2,814 Thousand persons -2.6%
2005 2,779 Thousand persons -1.2%
2006 2,582 Thousand persons -7.1%
2007 2,478 Thousand persons -4.0%
2008 2,419 Thousand persons -2.4%
2009 2,469 Thousand persons +2.1%
2010 2,371 Thousand persons -4.0%
2011 2,379 Thousand persons +0.4%
2012 2,288 Thousand persons -3.8%
2013 2,240 Thousand persons -2.1%
2014 2,235 Thousand persons -0.2%
2015 2,210 Thousand persons -1.1%
2016 2,252 Thousand persons +1.9%
2017 2,069 Thousand persons -8.1%
2018 2,065 Thousand persons -0.2%
2019 1,876 Thousand persons -9.1%
2020 1,879 Thousand persons +0.2%
2021 1,906 Thousand persons +1.4%
2022 1,778 Thousand persons -6.7%
2023 1,789 Thousand persons +0.6%
2024 1,780 Thousand persons -0.5%
2025 1,774 Thousand persons -0.4%
2026 1,782 Thousand persons +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2,732 Thousand persons 2,419 Thousand persons 3,069 Thousand persons 10
2010s 2,198 Thousand persons 1,876 Thousand persons 2,379 Thousand persons 10
2020s 1,813 Thousand persons 1,774 Thousand persons 1,906 Thousand persons 7

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 17 Hungary 2,255 Thousand persons compare
  2. 18 Austria 2,050 Thousand persons compare
  3. 19 Serbia 1,879 Thousand persons compare
  4. 21 Sweden 1,698 Thousand persons compare
  5. 22 Switzerland 1,597 Thousand persons compare
  6. 23 Slovakia 1,375 Thousand persons compare
  7. 23 Slovakia 1,375 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria?
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria was 1,782 Thousand persons in 2026, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 3,069 Thousand persons in 2000.
What is the lowest persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 1,774 Thousand persons in 2025.
How does Bulgaria rank for persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by?
Bulgaria ranks 20th out of 45 countries with data for 2026.
Is persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work - quarterly data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/persons-outside-the-labour-force-not-seeking-employment-by-willingness-to-work-quarterly/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Persons outside the labour force not seeking employment by willingness to work - quarterly data
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,257 data points, 1998–2026
Last refreshed